Oil and gas separator



March 25. 1930. M. F. WATERS OIL AND GAS SEPARATOR Filed April 9, 1928 vg' l' 2 Sheets-Shffm INVENTOR. l M. F. Waer.

ATTORNEY.

March 25, 1930 M, F. WATERS OILl AND GAS SEPARATOR Filed April 9, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR. M. F. Waers A TTORNEY.

35 baille;

i 50 In the drawings,

Patented Mar. 25, 1930 UNITED s'rA'rEs PATENT OFFICE F. WATERS, OF TULSA, OKLAHOMA, ASSIGNOR TO SMITH SEPABATOB COMPANY, F TULSA, OKLAHOMA OIL AND GAS SEPABATOR My invention consistsin new and useful improvements in oil and gas separators of the type employed to separate gas fr9m`oil immediately after a mixture of o'iland gas is discharged from the well.

In the handling of liquids and gases, it is common knowledge, particularly with oil and gas, that if the liquid and gas are broken up into fine streams, these elements will liberate themselves from each other, and to this end I have provided a novel baille arrangement designed to give more surface contact to the gas, thereby breaking it up and freeing it of any liquidsor solids which may be entrained therewith.

As a further object'of my invention, I provide a rotary batile adapted to be revolved by the action of the incoming mixture of oil and gas, said battle being in the form-of a perforated spiral. s

v y Withthe above and other objects in view which will appear asthe description proceeds, my invention consists lin the novel features herein set forth, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, in which numerals of like character designate similar partsth'roughout the several views- Fig. 1 is a view of a separator tank in side elevation, partly broken away to show the baiile arrangement;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig.- 1, showing the upper spiral Fig. 3 is a sectional yiiew taken on line 3 3 of Fig. `1, showing the lower spiral baille;

Fig. 4 is a sectional View of a portion of the separator tank, showing the baile cylinders in side elevation;

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the central tubular shaft'and inner baille skirt, showin the location of the spiral baile in Idotted llnes;

4,5 Fig. 6 is a detail view .of the inlet snout,

and Y Fig. 7 is an enlarged' detail of a section of the spiral baflie showing the form of aparture employed.

1 represents an oil and .inafter set forth.

gas separator tank, providedwith a plurality of oil and gas inlets 2, located in the walls of the tank slightly above 'the center thereof, a gas` outlet 3, in the upperportion of the tank, an oil outlet 4 in the Wall of the tank, near the low,er extremity thereof, and a sand drain 5, connected into the bottom of the tank. At each of the inlets 2, I provide snouts 6, which extend inwardly, downwardly and angularly with respect to 'the walls of said tank, and flared outwardly at their lowermost ends, as clearly shown in Figs. l and 6.

In that portion vof the tank immediately y beneath the inlet snouts 6, I provide a baiile o5 member 7, which comprises a cylinder 8, vertically disposed with respect to said tank, and spaced apart from the-walls thereof, said cylinder being open at both ends and secured by any suitable means to a rotary hollow shaft 9, centrally mounted in said tank, in' suitable bearings 10, secured` in place by supports 11` at the upper and lower en ds of said shaft. Within the cylinder 8, and secured to the 'inner walls thereof, is a spiral baile 12, which extendsy from the upper to the lower extremity of said cylinder, around said hols low shaft 9.

As will be seen from Figs. 1 and 4 of the drawings, the wall of the'cylinder 8 is provided with a series of apertures 13, arranged spirally adjacent the lower edge of the spiral baffle 12, and extending from the top to the bottom of said cylinder. 14 represents a de pending skirt secured to the under face of the baiile 12, and located adjacent the series of spiral aertures 13, said skirt being slightly spaced apartfrom said apertures and the walls of said cylinder 8, for theLpurpose hercf n. Likewise, the hollow shaft `9 is provided with a spiral series of apertures 15, adjacent the inner edge of the spiral baille 12, where it is secured to sgid shaft, and an inner skirt 16, similar to the skirt 14, is provided adjacent said apertures 15, on the under surface of the baflie 12, `and slightly spaced apart from the said shaft.

As will be seen from Figs. 1 and 3, the baiile 12 is perforated at predetermined 10c and vice versa.

These perforations are preferably of the type shown in Fig.` 7, having their centers on y partially punched out, and left dependl ing therefrom at a downward angle, forming lips 30, for the purpose hereinafter set forth.

On the upper face'of, that portion of the spiral bale 12, immediately adjacent the inlet snouts 6, I provide a series of angle irons or ,varies 18, projecting upwardly from said balile, and disposed transversely thereon (see Figs. l and 3). 1 S

In the upper portion of the tank 1, immediately above'the inlet snouts 6, I provide a second battle member 19, consisting of a cylinder or drum 20, secured to the upper end of the shaft 9, vand provided with a series of spirally arranged apertures 21. This cylinder 20 is also vertically disposed with respect to said tank, and spaced apart from the walls thereof, being similar in all respects to the lower cylinder 8, with the exception of the length of its walls, as will be seen from Figs. 1 and* 4 of the drawings. Within this cylinder 20, and secured to the shaft 9, I provide a spiral bale 22, which,'unlike the spiral baffle 12, in the lower cylinder, is perforated throughout its entire area, and is not equipped with depending skirts at its inner and outer edges.

Immediately above the rotar baiile member 19, I provide suitable stationaryy baffles 23, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, which may be of any type desired. 24 represents a gas outlet baille secured to the inner wall of the tank 1, adjacent the outlet 3, which also ma be of any desired type.

n the lower portion of the tank 1, connected into the oil voutlet 4I provide an automatic outlet control 25, of the type shown vand described in my co-pending application Serial No. 4,933, filed Jan. 26, 1925.'

'Having thus described in detail the construction 'of my apparatus,-the operation is as follows. x

The mixtureof oil and gas enters the tank 1 at the inlets 2, and is detiected downwardly in a spiral direction by the snouts 6, from whence it comes in contact immediately with the upper surfaceof the spiral baille 12'. As

the mixture strikes the vanes 18 on the upper portion of -the spiral baille 12, the cylinder 8, together with the enclosed baille, will be caused to rotate, due to the weight of the fluid andthe force with which it is introduced into the tank. The projecting lips 30 of the` perforations inthe spiral balile 12, will serve as additional propelling means against which .-.and the cylinder 8,will drop the bottoni of the tank.

lt)he intiowing liquid impinges, to rotate the aille.

The free gas will immediately rise to the upper portion of the tank, and come in contact with the spiral baille 22 in the upper cylinder 20, which, being mounted on the same shaft-9, will also be caused to rotate with the spiral 12. As the gas passes through the lperforations in the spiral baille 22, the rotation of said battle will give the gas continuous. contact, and practically all of the entrained liquid will be knocked back to the lower extremity of the separator, any gas which may have passed upwardly. between the cylinder 20 and the tank 1, being separated from its liquid content by the additional bailles23 and 24 in the upper portion of the tank, thus permitting onlyclean gas to leave the tank at the outlet 3; v

The liquid and entrained gases having entered thel lower chamber 8, and coming in contact with the spiral baille 12, Hows downward.V The liquid is immediately broken up into small streams as it passes through the perforated portions 17 of said baille, and as it continues to pass downwardly, it is further broken up due to the staggered arrangement 'of the perforated and imperfoate areas of the upper portion of the tank 1, where-it is further deprived of any liquid content `by the baille arrangement in the upper. p ortion of the tank. y

Likewise, as the liquid falls through. 'the perforations in the spiral baille 12, some'l of the same will vaporize, and rise between the outer skirt'ballle 14, and the inside wall of the chamber 8, and it isto ,allow'the escape of this gas andpreventit from coming 1n contact with the downilowing liquid,'.that said outer skirt baille 14 is provided. The gas thenleaves the lower cylinder or: chamber 8,

through the spirally arranged apertures 13, y

and proceeds upwardly between theoutside of the cylinder and the inside of the separator tankl, from whence it goesdirectly to the upper end of the tank, or enters the upper cylinder 20' for further separation.A Any condensate of this gas-between the skirt 14 by gravity to Thu height of the liquid accumulating iu the lower portion of the tank 1, is contro led bythe automatic outlet control 25.- The liquid enters the flow nipple 26, and gradually rises in the float chamber 27, causing the upward movement of the fioat 28, which, when the liquid has arrived at\a predetermined level, opens a valve 29, to allow the escape of the separated liquid.

While I have shown and described a rotary baffle arrangement, it is obvious that the sam'e structure may be employed as a sta-tionary unit,l and while I have described theupper cylinder 20 as similar to the lower cylinder 8, with the exception of its length, it will be noted that these cylinders may be of the same length or the upper cylinder longer than the lwer cylinder, if desired. Or, a larger nu'm-V ber of cylinders and baille members may'be employed.

From the foregoing, it is believed that the construction, Operation and advantages of my invention may be readily understood by those skilled in the art, and I am aware that changes may be made in the details disclosed, without departing from the spirit of the invention, as expressed in the following claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In an oil and gas separator tank, a vertically disposed hollow shaft'rotatably mount-- ed therein, a cylinder mounted on said shaft and rotatable about the axis thereof, a spiral baiile within said cylinder and around said shaft, said shaft and cylinder being provided with a series of spirally arranged apertures in its wall, adjacent the under side of said spiral baffle, and depending skirts` secured to the under surface of said baille adjacent said spirally arranged apertures, and spaced apart therefrom.

2.' Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said spiral baille is alternately provided with perforated and imperforate areas.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said spiral baffle is alternately provided with perforated and imperforate areas arranged 'in staggered relation vertically.

4. An oil and gas separator comprising a tank, oil and gas inlets in the wall of said tank, a vertical shaft rotatably mounted in said tank, cylinders mounted on said shaft' and rotatable therewith above and below said inlets', each of said cylinders having a perforated spiral baie secured therein around said shaft, means whereby said cylinders and baflles may be rotated by the force of the incoming oil and gas.

5. An oil and gas separator as claimed in claim 4, wherein said tankis provided adj acent said inlets with downwardly and angularly disposed snouts.

6. An oil and gas separator as claimed in claim 4, whereinV the lower spiral baiile is equipped with vanos, and said tank is provided adjacent said inlets with downwardly and angularly disposed snouts, arranged immediately above said venes, wherebv the incomingoil and gas will cause said bales and cylinders to rotate and-break up the particles of oil and gas.

v 7. In an oil and gas separator tank, a baille member comprising a. rotatably mounted cylinder having a perforated spiral baflie secured within the walls thereof and about its axis of rotation, said perforations having depending lips against which down-flowing liquid is directed, whereby said cylinder is rotated.

8. In an oil and gas separator tank, a bale member comprising a rotatably mounted cylinder having a perforated spiral bale secured within the walls thereof, and about its axis of rotation, the walls of said cylinder being provided witha series of spirally arranged perforations, the remaining area being imperforate, the convolutions of the spiral series of perforations being spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the distance between the convolutions of the spiral baille.

9. In an oil and gas separator tank, a baiile member comprising a rotatably mounted cylinder having a perforated spiral baille secured within the walls thereof, and about its axis of rotation, the walls of said cylinder being provided with a series of perforations arranged spirally therein, ad'acent the lower outer edge of said spiral ba e, the area between the convolutions of said perforations being imperforate. l

10. In an oil and as separator tank, a baille member comprising a rotatably mounted cylinder having a perforated spiral baille secured within the walls thereof, and about its axis of rotation, said cylinder being mounted on a hollow rotary shaft vertically mounted in said tank, and to which the inner edge of said spiral baille is secured, said shaft having a series of apertures spirally arranged in the wall thereof adjacent the lower inner edge of said spiral baille, the remaining area being imperforate, the convolutions of the spiral series of perforations in said shaft being spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the distance between the convolutionsof the spiral baiile.

11. In an oil and asiseparator tank, a baffle member comprising a rotatably mounted cylinder having a perforated spiral baille secured within the walls thereof, and aboutI its axis of rotation, the walls of said cylinder being provided with a series of spirally arranged perforations, the remaining area being imperforate, the convolutions of the spiral series of perforations being spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the distance between the convolutions of the spiral bale, said cylinder being mounted on a hollow rotary shaft vertically mounted in said tank, and to which the inner edge of said spiral baii'le is secured. said shaft having a series of apertures spirally arranged in the wall thereofv adjacent the lower inner edlge of said spiral baie, the convolutions of t e spiral apertures in said shaft being spaced apart a distance substantiall equal to the distance between the convo utions of the `spiral baille.

In testimony whereof I aix m signature.

' MILLARD F. ATERS. 

